Toilet Water Hits the Big Time
I remain amazed at how far the story about Jasmine Roberts -- the Hillsborough 7th-grader who proved in a science fair experiment that toilet water was cleaner than tap water in many restaurants -- has spread.
Today the Columbia Journalism Review's CJR Daily website takes on CNN for covering her results instead of a science journal piece noting that Greenlands ice caps are melting at a faster rate that previously known.
The day before, she appeared on the Today show; a quick Google search indicates her story has appeared everywhere from Good Morning America to the Hindustan Times (see video from WTSP-Ch. 10 here)
It's testament to the power of a can't-miss concept, paired with a cute, articulate teen can go in today's media drenched news environment. As CJR noted, CNN even put its impressive news resources to work, collecting 23 samples to reproduce this 7th grader's science experiment on a national scale.
A sample of how cable and morning TV news shows are increasingly held to the same news standard as local TV outlets? For sure.
But its also an interesting example of the momentum of a persuasive idea. And that's a lesson worth learning in a world where knowledge brings increasing levels of power every day.
I expect to be working for young Jasmine before too long.
The Feed is a blog on TV, media and modern life by St. Petersburg Times TV/media critic Eric Deggans. Possibly the most critical guy at the Times, he has served as music, media and TV critic at various times over 10 years.
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Toilet water is cleaner than our drinking water?No suprise there, and yes it makes me glad that I drink only bottled water these days.After drinking bottled for a few months and trying to drink some good old St. Pete tap water, I made a hasty trip to Publix to pickup another few gallons of water.Perhaps I should have tried drinking from the toilet instead. My dogs seem to enjoy it.
Posted by: Khan of the Wastelands | February 22, 2006 at 03:25 PM
missed this story, but if true, it's too bad that it will give more of a push to the absurd bottled water industry which sells a free resource and adds tons of plastic waste to landfills every day.memo to news orgs: if you put anything under a cheap microscope, you will see all kinds of horrifying creatures and 'filth' lurking everywhere. duh!
Posted by: formerly mr anonymous | February 22, 2006 at 10:54 AM
will she receive an "A" in her science class? she should.
Posted by: Anonymous | February 22, 2006 at 10:03 AM